by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

by Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports

Eric Decker left a prolific Denver Broncos offense that set an NFL record with 606 points last season, when his quarterback set the league mark with 55 touchdown passes.

Now he's on the ground floor with the New York Jets, enlisted to help with the overhaul of a passing game that ranked 31st in the league last season.

"I wouldn't call it a shock," Decker told USA TODAY Sports after Saturday's practice. "It's a challenge to grow with these guys. I had a great time in Denver and had an appreciation for playing for such a great organization and really, Peyton Manning.

"But it's a new chapter for me. It's business. Sometimes, it doesn't work out. I'm happy to land where I am, to help build a team that can do some special things."

Decker, who signed a five-year, $36.25 million free agent deal in March, has surely upgraded the thin receiver corps as one of the team's bold moves to upgrade the offense. A big target at 6-3, 214, Decker doesn't bring blazing speed. But he has drawn raves from the likes of second-year quarterback Geno Smith and coach Rex Ryan for his polished techniques to create the separation to get open, which has been evident during the early days of training camp.

"There are some fast guys who don't get separation," Ryan said. "The thing about wideouts, I remember Michael Irvin was saying, 'I don't have to run what (the defensive back) runs, he has to run what I run.' I think that's why you'll see a guy who doesn't have that 4.2 or 4.3 speed still make plays."

The Jets are banking on that. Decker caught 87 passes for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. In two seasons with Manning, he caught 172 passes and 24 touchdowns.

Still, those big numbers must be considered with some context. Decker put up his stats while playing the past two years with arguably the NFL's best quarterback, and in an offense that had so many weapons â?? the Broncos became the first team in NFL history last season to produce five players with at least 10 TD receptions -- that he often drew single coverage.

With the Jets, even if Smith progresses or Vick wins the job and excels, Decker will likely draw more attention from opposing defenses as the No. 1 receiver.

Can he thrive in a No. 1 role? That will be part of the challenge for Decker, who was virtually invisible against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, when he was limited to one catch for six yards.

Some of the biggest flops in free agency were receivers (like Alvin Harper and Peerless Price) who had minimal impact after switching teams to become No. 1 targets.

"I don't think about that stuff," Decker said. "I just worry about the detail with my routes, being in the right spots and on Sundays, it's not one guy that's going to make the big difference. It's every guy in that huddle that's going to win you games. Some days, it's going to be my day. Some days it may not. It's all about playing as a unit.

"It's not just me on the field. The other receivers, they're going to have opportunities to make plays. We've got to complement each other."

That's a theory. The Jets' leading receiver last season, Jeremy Kerley, had just 43 catches. Ryan has contended that the depth from top to bottom with the receiving corps is the deepest that it has been in years, including the improvement from third-year pro Stephen Hill and the impressions of fourth-round rookie Jalen Saunders.

Still, with all the work in progress, Denver this is not.

"It doesn't change how hard I work," Decker said. "I think my job as a wide receiver is to learn my position, be the best at what we do. Building a positive relationship with both quarterbacks. Right now, my focus is to make sure my off-the-ball releases are good, the top of the routes are good and that I'm in the right spot at the right time."